Chicago - The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

Rhino began its elaborate Chicago reissue series in 2002 with Chicago's Complete Greatest Hits: Only the Beginning, a double-disc set that covers 39 hits from all of Chicago's eras -- from the early jazzy records, through the soft rock hits sung by Peter Cetera, to the post-Cetera adult contemporary records of the '80s, and beyond. It's the first compilation to cover this much ground, actually -- 1991's Group Portrait stopped around Cetera's departure -- and while it may go a little bit farther than some would want (a cover of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" from their 1995 neo-swing album closes the set; it happens to feature the Gipsy Kings on support), it nevertheless is very satisfying, since it rounds up all of the hits, and Chicago was at their very best for hits. For anybody who has been holding on to all three Greatest Hits collections, this will replace them all, since it has almost every song from all three, plus remastered sound. Indeed, this is the definitive word on the group -- perhaps a fan favorite or two is missing, but everything you need is here, in a more concise, user-friendly shape than the Group Portrait box while offering more than any of the hits collections. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Aaron Baron Engineer Alan Jardine Vocals (Background) Alex Rodriguez Engineer Amy Utstein Project Assistant April Milek Project Assistant Armin Steiner String Engineer Bill Champlin Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards Bill DeYoung Liner Notes Bill Schnee Mixing Bill Watrous Arranger, Orchestration Blue Weaver Synthesizer Strings Bo Tomlyn Synthesizer Programming Brian Ross-Myring Engineer Bruce Fairbairn Original Recording Producer, Producer, Mixing Bruce Gaitsch Guitar Bud Graham Engineer Carl Wilson Vocals (Background) Carlos Garcia Engineer Chaka Khan ?, Vocals (Background) Charles Judge Keyboards Chas Sandford Guitar, Mixing, Producer, Original Recording Producer, Engineer Chicago Producer, Original Recording Producer Chris Hinshaw Engineer Chris Pinnick Guitar Cory Frye Editorial Supervision Dan Huff Guitar Daniel Seraphine Drum Programming, Drums, Percussion, Vocals David Donnelly Remastering David Foster Original Recording Producer, Keyboards, Producer, Arranger, Piano David McLees Producer David Paich Synthesizer Dawayne Bailey Vocals, Guitar Dominic Frontiere Orchestration Don Gehman Engineer Don Puluse Engineer Donnie Dacus Guitar, Vocals Ed Thacker Mixing, Live Recording Mixer, Engineer Efrain Toro Drum Programming, Keyboards Erich Bulling Synthesizer Programming Erwin Musper Mixing, Engineer Fred Catero Engineer Gary Grant Trumpet, Flugelhorn Gary McGachen Engineer Gary Peterson Discographical Annotation Gerard Prevost Producer Gipsy Kings Flamenco Guitar Greg Adams Trumpet, Flugelhorn Greg Walsh Mixing Guille Garcia Percussion, Conga Hank Altman Engineer Hawk Wolinski Arp, Synthesizer Howard "Buzz" Feiten Guitar Hugh Brown Art Direction Humberto Gatica Engineer, Remixing, Mixing J.G. O'Rafferty Pedal Steel James Guthrie Mixing James Pankow Percussion, Vocals, Trombone James William Guercio Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Producer, Original Recording Producer Jason Scheff Vocals, Bass Jeff Guercio Engineer Jeff Katz Photography Jeff Magid Remastering Jeremy Lubbock String Arrangements Jim Boyer Engineer, Mixing Jimmie Haskell Orchestration, Orchestral Arrangements, String Arrangements Joe Lala Conga John Campbell Keyboards John Keane Drums John Von Tongeren Synthesizer Programming Keith Howland Guitar Kenny Cetera Vocals (Background) Kiki Epsen Keyboards, Programming Larry Dahlstrom Engineer Laudir DeOliveira Percussion, Vocals, Conga Lee DeCarlo Engineer Lee Loughnane Vocals, Trumpet, Remastering, Flugelhorn, Percussion Leigh Hall Project Assistant Leroy Williams Drums (Steel) Lou Waxman Engineer Luis Conte Percussion Marcus Ryle Synthesizer Programming Maria Villar Design, Art Direction Mervyn Warren Producer Michael Boddicker Synthesizer Programming Michael Carnevale Engineer Michael Landau Guitar Mike Engstrom Product Manager Mike Murphy Programming, Cowbell Nicolás Reyes Vocals Norman Seeff Photography Othello Molineaux Drums (Steel) Patchai Reyes Vocals Patrick Williams Orchestration Paul Jackson, Jr. Guitar Paulinho Da Costa Percussion Peter Cetera Bass, Vocals Peter Kaye Programming Peter Mayer Programming Phil Ramone Original Recording Producer, Mixing Phillip Ashley Keyboards Randy Perry Project Assistant Rev. Dave Boruff Synthesizer Programming Rhett Lawrence Synthesizer Programming Robbie Buchanan Keyboards Robert Lamm Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion Ron Nevison Original Recording Producer, Engineer, Producer Roy Bittan Producer Shelly Berg Arranger, Orchestration Stephen "Doc" Kupka Sax (Baritone) Steve Lukather Guitar Steve Porcaro Synthesizer Programming, Keyboard Programming Steve Woolard Project Assistant Sy Mitchell Engineer Tamara Champlin Vocals (Background) Ted Perlman Engineer Terry Kath Vocals, Guitar, Percussion Tim Cetera Vocals (Background) Tim Scanlin Liner Notes Tom Dowd Producer Tom Keane Keyboards Tonino Baliardo Guitar Tris Imboden Harmonica, Drums Walter Parazaider Woodwind, Percussion, Vocals Wayne Tarnowski Engineer